Diplomacy is the art of selling a deal you dont want to people you dont trust for reasons you wont admit to.

-Prokopia Lekapene, first and only Hierarch of the League of Free Cities

No one goes through the front gate, Callow, Ratface told me pityingly. Not unless you have a Name or youre in disfavour with the Empress.

That just bloody figures, I muttered. Theres another way in?

Try twenty, Hakram gravelled. Most of them through tunnels, but the nobles have some fancy gate in the back.

I scowled, much to the amusement of my officers. Id missed the communal breakfast for my company, as Black had let me sleep in up to Morning Bell before sending me back. Within moments of setting foot on the grounds my officers had come to ambush me: morning classes had been dismissed because of an announcement that was the talk of the College. A five-way melee had been ordered by the Empress herself, and the participants had been informed in the middle of the meal. We commandeered one of the classrooms to serve as our meeting hall, ushering out the handful of cadets studying inside. There were advantages to Captain rank, even when it was a purely collegial title. My lieutenants clustered together on the same bench as if I was about to start a lesson while Hakram propped himself up on what was likely the teachers desk: he was the only sergeant in attendance, since this was theoretically a senior officers meeting. No one objected to his presence, not that I would have given in if they had: Id come to value his advice too much to care if him being around ruffled a few feathers.

So, Kilian spoke up, a five-way melee. Been a while since they organized one of those. Im guessing its not a coincidence that the people in it are the four top companies and little old us?

Id paid little attention to the lieutenant of the mage line, when Id first come across her in Ratfaces tent, and hadnt see much of her since. Red-haired and pale-skinned, she was an unusual sight this deep in the Wasteland. Likely theres a story to that. Setting aside my curiosity for the moment I grimaced, leaning back against the desk with my arms folded over my chest.

Theres other forces at play here, I told them. My name, as you might have guessed, is not Callow.

Pickler cocked her head to the side.

Youre not actually the Duchess of Daoines secret bastard offspring, are you? she asked flatly.

I- I opened my mouth, closed it and then opened it again. I genuinely dont know how to respond to that.

Thats the most popular rumour as to why the Blackguards picked you up, Ratface informed me in an irritatingly amused tone. Ran away to Praes so you could learn war from the best. Very romantic stuff. Until the melee everyone was talking about it.

I am not, in fact, the hidden heir to the Duchy of Daoine, I replied patiently, rubbing the bridge of my nose to stem the no-doubt oncoming headache.

Ratface cursed under his breath, handing a smug-looking Kilian a handful of silver denarii.

Told you it was Name stuff, she crowed.

She doesnt do magic and theres already a Squire and Heiress running around, he argued. What Name could she possibly have?

I cleared my throat.

Yeah, funny thing about that, I admitted.

Surprisingly, Nauk was the first one to get it.

You were there when Lord Black hung the Governor, huh, he grunted. Well, that explains that.

A ripple of surprise went through the officers. Id have to remember not to underestimate how sharp the orc lieutenant was just because he was muscled like a bear and liked punching people in the face. It took more than brawn to make his rank.

Long story short, I continued, I got baited by Heiress and now were in this mess. You have my apologies for that.

Ah, Imperial politics, Ratface murmured. Someone always gets screwed, and never the one who deserves it.

He got sympathetic looks from the others at that and I made a mental note to get the whole story about why from Hakram later. My sergeant seemed to have an inside track into every story going on in the College and displayed absolutely no reluctance in feeding me the juiciest morsels.

Something like that, I agreed. If Heiress continues to make the same kind of plays she has so far, we might have a company or more going for us from the beginning. Girl has deep pockets, and shes not above bribing her way to victory.

Pickler shook her head.

Wont work, she assessed. Not here.

I raised an eyebrow. Hopefully she wasnt about to make a speech on the strength of Praesi moral fibre, because so far Id found the subject less than impressive.

Shes right, Ratface agreed. Anyone takes a bribe for this and their career in the Legions is over.

I hadnt considered that, actually. True, my teacher could just put in a quiet word with some of his followers and kill someones career if he wanted to. Would he? After a heartbeat I decided he would. Itd be seen as Heiress meddling in his backyard, so hed have to make an example.

Even then, I finally said, expect sabotage. She wouldnt have put forward those terms if she didnt think she could affect the odds.

Eh, Nauk shrugged. As long as they keep that shit off the battlefield it doesnt matter, does it? We just need to wreck everyone else.

Hes right. This isnt the kind of war game that can be easily stacked, anyhow, Pickler murmured. Too many people in play, too many different priorities.

The almost adoring look Nauk sent her after the comment forced me to bite down on a smile. Id never really gotten to see the two of them interacting before but I had no trouble at all believing what Hakram had told me about the large orc having a thing for the goblin lieutenant.

Which brings me to the point of this little chat, I broke in after having smoothed my face out of any amusement. Theres four other captains participating and Im going to need anything on them you can give me.

You sure you need us to tell you anything about the Hellhound? Kilian mused, dark eyes dancing with amusement. From what I hear you whipped her pretty bad even without us around.

I smiled but inside I was wondering about the most polite way to nip this in the bud. I didnt want to antagonize one of my senior officers within the three days of my getting a command, but underestimating Juniper was a sure-fire way to get spanked so hard our grandkids would still be feeling the sting.

She actually played me like a fiddle from start to finish, I admitted, deciding that a little self-deprecation was the way to go. It wasnt like Id have to lie to get my point across, or even stretch the truth. If I hadnt blindsided her by having a Name she would have won and she nearly did anyway.

Ratface cleared his throat, breaking in.

On the bright side, shed unlikely to hold a grudge, he mentioned. Shell want to win this one too badly to focus on us: shell go for victory, not payback.

We can focus on Juniper later, I agreed. I think Ive got a decent read on her anyway, its the other three that are unknowns. I only know the name of the guy in charge of Fox Company Captain Snatcher, right?

Pickler nodded.

Hes not going to be an immediate threat, she spoke quietly, but we cant afford to give him time to dig in. Hes turned his entire company into defence specialists made it mandatory for every single one of his cadets to take the sapper classes.

Defence, huh? Not the flashiest of specialties but it sounded like it could get troublesome. Snatcher might not meet us on an open plain tough since I had no idea what our battlefield would look like, I had no idea whether wed even have one of those handy but recent history was full of stories making it very clear that giving Legion sappers the time to set up surprises always ended nastily for the attacker.

Anyone assaulting a position hes fortified is going to take brutal losses, Hakram gravelled from my side. That might be enough to lay the groundwork for cooperation with another company, at least until hes out.

Something to think about, I mused. What are we looking at, in terms of allies?

Captain Aisha Bishara is our best bet, Ratface contributed immediately, she runs Wolf Company.

Bishara. Id heard the name before hadnt Juniper mentioned it last night? There was a wave of snickering by the others. Even Pickler cracked a smile.

I bet youd like to ally with her, all right, Nauk grinned.

I raised an eyebrow and sent Hakram a quizzical look.

They were involved, my sergeant informed me. She dumped him a few months back and hes still in denial.

She didnt dump me, you green arse, Ratface scowled. Were just on a break until were less busy with things.

Like I said, Hakram continued with a sagely nod. Still in denial.

All right, lets table further mockery of Lieutenant Ratface for the moment, I replied with a wry smile. Whos our last contender?

Captain Morok, Kilian spoke up. Head of Lizard Company. Theyre second in company rankings, so hell be wanting the Hellhounds head on a pike.

Theyve got a feud running? I asked my officers.

Not really, Ratface said. Well, maybe him he takes things personally. Theyre nearly head to head in points, so if he wins this and Juniper loses hell climb up to first rank. Its his last year before graduation, so he wont be getting another chance.

Thats something I can use, I muttered, passing a hand through my hair.

Id braided it into a semblance of order this morning, but I might have to cut it soon. It was getting too long, and it was awkward to wear under a legionary helmet. Hakram cleared his throat, which made him sound like he was retching out half a desert.

Have you decided how many points were going to be bidding, Captain? he asked.

I frowned.

Bidding? Thats the first Im hearing of this.

Kilian folded her hands together. Instructor Bolade said were supposed to bid a set amount of points. If we win the melee, well gain that many and if we lose, well lose that many.

An exercise in calculating risk, she called it, Pickler contributed quietly.

I could see how. Company scores, as I understood, were not the affair of a single batch of cadets: they were a legacy inherited by the next one. All scores were set back to zero every decade, but considering the last reset had been two years ago a large bid that failed could haunt a company for a very long time. Nobody wanted to leave a mess like that behind and be remembered as the captain that tried to bite off more than they could chew, screwing over the next two batches of cadets. Which reminded me, I still had no idea what Rat Companys score actually was.

I know were in the negatives, I said, but how far down are we? Seventeen, twenty?

Ratface closed his eyes, his face flushed.

Forty-two, he muttered.

I kept my face smooth, almost grateful for the refresher course in doing exactly that the Court had turned out to be. Forty-two? A win in the war games was a two point gain, a defeat a two point loss. A draw was a one point gain for the defender and a one point loss for the attacker. I knew Ratface had lost twelve in a row and that Rat Company hadnt been doing well even before that, but I hadnt expected them to be stuck that deep down the well. It meant that even before the Taghreb had been put in charge the company had been losing far, far more often than they won. I could see the embarrassment in the face of my officers, the shame of having let their standing fall so far, but now was not the time for self-recrimination.

Thats a relief, I said.

Ratface blinked. Pardon? he asked.

I smiled. With that kind of a handicap, I feel a lot more comfortable in using some of my more debatable ideas.

Nauk laughed, apparently delighted at the prospect. Pickler was hard to read, but Kilian looked like she was wondering whether to be insulted or amused.

Hopefully it doesnt involve jumping logs this time, Hakram muttered. That hasnt been a winner for me so far.

I shot my sergeant an amused look.

Im sure I could find a drill, if youd like, I mused. Always be prepared, right?

I seem to recall having urgent duties anywhere but here, the tall orc replied. I really should go see to them.

I snorted. All right, dismissed. Get the company ready, we dont have a lot of time.

They slid off the bench one by one, saluting before going through the door. Hakram shot me a questioning look, but I gestured for him to go. It was Ratfaces shoulder I clasped to hold him back.

So youre our supply guy, I said, drumming my fingers against the desk, leaning back against it.

Ratface shrugged, his handsome features highlighting the absurdity of his chosen name.

Something like that, he agreed. Usually its the captains job to handle this stuff, but you have enough on your plate already.

Didnt I just?

I got a sealed letter from the Headmistress this morning, before I got back to the College. It specifies what quantity of stuff were allowed to requisition for the melee, with caps for types of goblin munitions, I told him. Im considering our options, and you know your way around the College stocks a lot better than I do.

The olive-skinned boy straightened his back, interest piqued.

Youve got something particular in mind? he asked.

Well get to that later, I replied. When we passed the stocks earlier I noticed that they have a parchment nailed down with what they have available on it. I want you to send someone to copy it. Im guessing the other captains are doing the same.

The grey-eyed lieutenant raised an eyebrow.

You want to know what the others will be taking into the melee, he said.

It should give us an idea of the way they intend to go at it, I acknowledged. But what I really want to know is if theres a way to get anything without going through the College stocks.

Ratface paused, eyeing me very carefully.

Not officially, he said. But I might know a few people. Why? Itd be a lot of effort, and we cant take more than allowed onto the field. More than that, the others will notice we havent drawn as much from the stocks as we can theyll know something is up.

They will, I noted, unless we draw up to our limit until the last possible moment. Then we return our surplus, and

Theyll go into the match with wrong information about what were carrying, Ratface finished thoughtfully. Ill talk with my friends. Get back to me as soon as you have hard numbers.

I nodded.

Another two things, I added. Send someone to the College archives. I want everything you have on the old melees. Theres also records of more recent games, right?

Ratface nodded.

I want a record of every game Juniper was a captain for, I grunted. As quickly as possible.

Anything else? the lieutenant asked drily.

Well, since you asked, I mused. Ill need a guide for the day. I have a few people to meet.

It seemed that having a vicious sense of humour might be a widespread Praesi trait instead of just my teachers: the guide Ratface had assigned me was Robber.

Hell be easy to recognize, Cap, the goblin said. Just look for the ugliest orc in the training yard, cant miss him.

The grounds we were headed to werent inside the College, though they were close. It was apparently possible to reserve them for a bell if you signed up with one of the instructors, and aside from First Company the Lizards were the company whose name came most often on the list.

Is that so, I said neutrally.

Now, as is well known, Robber told me in a tone implying he was about to impart a fundamental truth of life, orcs are the ugliest creatures in Creation as well as the dumbest. But Morok is in a class in and of himself, as is only fitting for a captain. His face has been known to scare goats and make children cry.

Isnt Hakram one of your friends? I asked mildly. And, you know, an orc.

Hes an honorary goblin, the yellow-eyed sergeant replied without missing a beat. One of these days Ill get around to adopting him into the Rock Breaker tribe as my ugly but still-beloved son.

I must have been a bad person, deep down, because I actually found the little shit kind of funny. Regardless, wed arrived. A wall about a mans height encircled the yard, though I could hear the sound of metal against metal coming from inside. A pair of human cadets flanked the main entrance, eyeing us distrustfully. Or not actually us, I noticed after a moment. They were both glaring at Robber.

What did you do? I asked with a sigh.

Nothing, the goblin sergeant protested.

Im sure those rats got into our dormitory all by themselves, a dark-skinned boy said through gritted teeth.

They must have heard you lot talking shit about Rat Company and gotten confused, the small goblin grinned maliciously. You know how small-brained creatures get, Im sure.

The other cadet, Soninke as well, let her hand drop to her sword.

You utter prick, she snarled. One of them bit my-

I cleared my throat, loudly. Robber, go wait down the street. Cadets, Im Captain Callow. Id like to talk with Captain Morok.

They exchanged looks. He said- the boy started.

A visit by another Captain qualifies, the girl grunted. You might have to wait until hes done, though.

I nodded and granted Robber a steady look.

Try not to get stabbed, Sergeant, I ordered.

I was halfway through the doorway when I heard him call back no promises! I bit my cheek so I wouldnt smile. The inside of the yard was beaten earth with weapon racks propped against the walls, though lines of ground chalk had been traced to form some patterns I vaguely recognized from my lectures on the Legions. Formation drills. There were benches between the racks and most of the hundred or so legionaries inside were sitting on them, watching two people fight in the middle of the yard.

One was a Taghreb girl, the largest Id seen since Captain meaty and thick-shouldered where her people were usually slight of frame. The other, who was currently hammering at her shield with his own, was the ugliest orc Id ever seen. Godsdamnit, Robber. He wasnt wearing his helmet so I could see from the occasional grin that his teeth were yellowish. His eyes were dark and deep-set, and I couldnt help but notice he had a large brownish mole just above his lip that was almost fascinatingly hideous. Like most orcs Captain Morok was heavily-muscled, but where the likes of Hakram and Nauk were in perfect shape he had something a pot-belly.

Not that it seemed to be hindering him any: he was winning the fight, and pretty handily. Slower than Juniper, I assessed, and his movements were kind of sloppy. But the girl he was fighting looked like she was getting kicked by a horse every time he hit her, and he battered her defence down until she was kneeling in the dirt. There was a cheer when he helped her up afterwards, and I leaned against the wall as another legionary walked up to the pair. They talked, too far away for me to overhear, and Morok glanced in my direction. Spitting on the ground, he shoved his sword and shield in the cadets hands before beginning to walk towards me.

Captain fucking Callow, is it? he leered, passing me by to pick up a water skin off a bench.

Popping off the cork, he took a long swallow some of the water trickled off his lips onto his chin, mixing with the sweat already there.

Thats me, I agreed.

Youre a skinny thing, for the heiress to Daoine, he snorted.

This is going to be worse than the goblinfire, isnt it? I sighed.

The captains eyes sharpened. Whats that?

Nothing, I grunted. No relation to Duchess Kegan, its just a rumour.

Sure it is, he smirked.

It occurred to me then that he was being rude on purpose. Pushing me to see how Id react, like Id once done to fighters in the Pit. The thought was comforting: I might have been a long way from home, but some things stayed the same. And I know how to deal with his type.

So, youre Junipers runner-up, I mused. Must sting, that she whipped your lot like children when Rat Company pulled off a win.

Morok smiled, showing off yellow but still very sharp fangs.

Did your little helper Ratface tell you what I did to your company last time we fought? he asked. Didnt even use munitions and we still took the fort. First time it ever happened, Im told.

I now had no problem whatsoever understanding why Robber had flooded their dormitory with disease-carrying rodents. Pushing down the flash of anger, I raised a hand in peace.

We could do this all day, I acknowledged, but weve got better things to do.

I do, anyway, Morok snickered. So why the fuck are you here, greenie?

Because I beat Juniper, I stated flatly. And shes not the kind of person that takes that lying down.

The other captain wiggled his hairless brows in a thoroughly horrifying gesture.

You and the Hellhound lying down, now theres an image, he said.

Ripping out one of his teeth and jamming it in that fat ugly mole wouldnt help me, I told myself. Idt be deeply satisfying, but it wouldnt help me.

Youre second in rankings, I gritted out. If anyone else wants a shot at her, its you.

Morok shrugged.

Could be, he said. Whats that got to do with you?

I narrowed my eyes. He wasnt an idiot he wouldnt be a close second in company scores if that was the case. But he was deliberately ignoring the offer Id implied. Why? My mind raced, and the answer I settled on had me tightening my lips. He thinks well weaken First Company just enough for him to pick them off afterwards. Hes not interested in working together, he just wants us to tear at each other so his positions stronger regardless of the result. Hellgods, I was sick of being used as a piece in other peoples games.

Shed beat us, I admitted. It was the truth: in a straight fight, First Company would walk over us like we were a freshly-paved Miezan road. But Morok, heres the thing: if Im going down, Im taking everyone else with me.

The fat orc eyed me cautiously.

Im not getting into a fight I cant win, I said. So well surrender and before getting the Hells off that field, Ill clap her on the back and hand her all our munitions.

He only half-managed to suppress his wince. Fighting First Company was one thing, but fighting a First Company at full strength with twice the amount of goblin munitions? There wasnt a force on the field thatd be able to take Juniper then, and we both knew who shed be headed for.

Itd take someone with no pride to flop belly-up like that, he growled.

I shrugged.

Im Callowan, Morok, I spoke in Kharsum. Ive spent my entire life with an Imperial boot pushing down on my throat. How proud do you really think I am?

The captain spat again, the fat gob of saliva coming dangerously close to my boots.

So we ream her together, he conceded in the same tongue. But thats all, Callow. Youre not riding this one on my coattails. The moment we withdraw from the field, the truce is done.

Wouldnt have it any other way, I agreed.

I offered up my arm. After a moment, he clasped it.

Id learned from the last trip and left Robber at a street corner close by.

Tea?

Captain Aisha Bishara was taller than me, I was chagrined to notice. Was it too much to ask to meet at least one military officer that was shorter? One that wasnt a goblin, anyway.

Please, I replied.

She was rather pretty, in that way some Taghreb were. With a lovely heart-shaped face, tanned skin and wide dark eyes, I could easily see how she would have caught Ratfaces eye. Her hair was cut in short bob, though strictly speaking it was still longer than Legion regulations allowed. Then again, sos mine. Like Morok shed been rather easy to find: it was common knowledge she had a private room set aside in the Sword and Cup for her personal use. The busy tavern wasnt the kind of place I would have expected a girl of her apparently noble origins to adopt as her unofficial headquarters, but then I supposed that if shed been the kind of person who cared for that stuff she would never have gone to the College in the first place. Aisha poured for both of us, elegantly setting aside the porcelain tea cup when she was done. Hospitality was a point of pride for the Taghreb, I remembered Captain telling me. An old tradition from before the days the first Miezan galley had ever reached the Wastelands shore, and one that was central to the southern culture in many respects.

Captain Callow, the dark-eyed girl mused. So youre Ratfaces replacement.

I felt a flicker of unease at that, though it never reached my face. Her involvement with the boy Id replaced as captain of Rat Company had been mostly a source of amusement so far, but it occurred to me for the first time that she might have an issue with me replacing her former? paramour.

So they keep telling me, I said prudently. Is it going to be an issue?

She blinked, though that was the only sign of surprise she gave. That was what I hated about dealing with Praesi: you could dump a bucket full of sheep heads on ones table and you wouldnt get much more than a frown out of them. Trying to get a read on the nobility of the Wasteland was like trying to dry a godsdamned lake.

Why would Hakram, you gossipy bitch, she cursed in a low voice.

I hid a grin. In other circumstances I might have tried to defend my favourite minion but he really was a gossip. Aisha let out a frustrated sigh.

Look, Callow, she addressed me flatly. If he was cut out for that kind of command the Rats wouldnt have lost as much as they did. It was right for him to be replaced. One sin, one grace.

The last four words shed said with the fervour of a woman at prayer, which would have gotten a pained grimace out of me if I werent already working on keeping my expression neutral. I was as good as apprenticed to the man whod introduced that philosophy to the Legions, and that was why I could grasp how utterly terrifying it was. Black had indoctrinated the better part of a generation into thinking that morality was irrelevant to the battlefield: the only things that mattered when the swords came out were victory and defeat. When the next war came, and I had no doubt that one was coming, there would no blundering generals at the head of the Legions. The coming generation of Evil would not fall apart on its own. Theyve been taught that winning matters more than anything else, and theyre not above breaking the world if thats the only way to own it.

So Ive heard, I muttered.

But I doubt you came to speak about my love life, Callow, Aisha said pleasantly. What is it you actually want?

Ah, and now came the tricky part. Time to get my head in the game.

Im more interested in talking about what you want, Aisha, I replied with a smile. Ive been keeping an eye on the stocks, you see.

Quick learner, the dark-eyed girl said approvingly. If youve been doing that, though, you know your company isnt the one Im after.

Her grabbing as many siege munitions as she could had made that plain enough, true.

Thats what Im here about, to tell you the truth, I told her, sipping at my tea for the first time. Huh, that was the first time I ever tasted that blend it wasnt the stuff Praesi usually served. Imported from the Senrima, maybe? That had to cost a fortune. Im not keen on letting Snatcher build his walls while the rest of us fight it out.

Aisha smiled.

Well now, Captain Callow, she purred. It seems like we have a common interest.

I put down my teacup and my smile broadened.

Let us talk business, then, I replied in Taghrebi.

After touching base with my officers Id gone back to Black for my usual lesson and stayed around afterwards, electing to remain in the comfortable solar hed appropriated in central Ater instead of returning to the College.

Ive read through all the reports on games Juniper commanded a company in, I said after a few hours of silence.

And?

I sighed, reaching for the cup of wine hed poured me earlier and taking a sip.

She doesnt make mistakes, I informed my teacher after swallowing. Every time she had the necessary information, the calls she made were perfect.

Black seemed more amused by that than sympathetic.

Maybe I should have made her my Squire then, he spoke airily.

I scowled at the bastard.

You know people only laugh at your jokes because theyre scared of you right?

He snorted. Im assuming you have a point, apart from your apparently upcoming nuptials with Istrids daughter.

I sneered at him as best I could, though compared to the nobility he so often had to deal with I was an amateur at the art. Id never found orcs particularly attractive, which Id been informed was a shared opinion from their side of the wall.

How do you beat someone who always makes the right choices? I finally asked him.

Morok I could deal with Id faced men like him before, fought and beat them. Aisha was trickier, but her focus on Snatcher made it possible. And Snatcher? Well, I was keeping quiet on my way to deal with him. Some cards needed to stay face down until the very last moment. But Juniper? Id tried to come up with something to trump the Hellhound and come up empty.

In a straight-up fight shed crush me, I knew that much. She had more command experience, a formal education in tactics and shed shaped First Company into a heavy combat force my own legionaries would be unable to deal with. Which was fine, anyway: Id never been all that fond of straight-up fights. I could scrap with the best of them, sure, but there was always someone who was bigger or better at taking hits. The problem was that every single dirty trick Id manage to think of was present in one of those reports, and she had beaten every single one of them.

Her only defeat on record was the one Id inflicted on her, and it had been a fluke. Shed led me around by the nose the whole time and if shed suspected I had a Name she might very well have managed to beat me even if Id somehow managed to tap in my power. A power I couldnt even count on, anyway, since I hadnt managed to use my Name since the last game and not for lack of trying. Godsdamned Lone Swordsman.

Ah, Black hummed. Shes that kind of an opponent, then.

Its kind of hateful how good she is at this, I admitted.

Ive had Grem One-Eye under my command for twenty years, Catherine, he told me dryly. I can certainly empathize with the feeling.

That was a pretty jarring admission, coming from a man Id been told had once toppled the king of one of the Free Cities using only a rowboat, a donkey and a pair of broken shovels. There were stories about Marshall One-Eye too, of course the Wall had stood firm against the greenskin clans for centuries before hed somehow managed to take all three of the forts the same night but they were nothing compared to the outrageous ones they told about the Black Knight. He smiled at me, once again managing to read me like a book despite my best efforts.

Theres always someone better, he said. Nonetheless, in your particular situation theres one thing that should do the trick.

I raised an eyebrow, not savouring the suspense as much as he clearly was.

Are you going to do that thing where you give me cryptic advice that later comes in useful at a critical moment? I asked, trying to convey how irritating that particular habit was through my tone.

Black took a sip from his cup, though not quickly enough to hide that hed actually been a little offended by that. I tried not to be openly amused, though not very hard.

Well not now, Im not, he muttered. Fine, you killjoy. Heres your advice: cheat.

I eyed him sceptically from across the table.

So who do I talk to, to trade you in for a better mentor? I asked.

Theres no attributed Imperial bureau for uppity Squires, unfortunately, he sneered at me.

I grinned, smothering a laugh, and even the cold fish that was my teacher deigned to offer a smile to the world.

So, I said after a moment. Cheating, huh. I dont suppose youd care to elaborate on that?

War games are, ultimately, still games, he murmured over the rim of his cup. Youre still trying to win according to the rules, when you should be trying to win despite them.

I leaned back into my comfortable seat, letting myself enjoy the warmth of the fire and the bellyful of wine as I closed my eyes. The both of us let silence fall over the room as we descended into our own thoughts. How do you beat someone you cant beat? I asked myself. My teacher had long left the room when I felt a savage smile stretch my lips. There was a way, maybe. It was underhanded and unfair, not to mention a little immoral around the edges, but then I was a villain wasnt I?

I supposed it was about time I started acting like one.